Six months ago, I was a different person.

I was not strong in my convictions, had no sense of boundaries, nor did I have a sense of direction in my life. Now, I am a changed woman of the Lord Almighty. “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”~2 Corinthians 5:17~ 

Several months ago, I did not stand up for the conviction that I have that Jesus is Lord and Savior of my life. My family, who are not followers of Jesus, constantly mocked, criticized, and even tried to convince me several times that I was, “crazy,” and that my convictions were false. Then, I gave into their arguments, but still believed deep in my heart that Jesus is Lord of my life. “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.”~2 Corinthians 3:5~

 I realized that I had to do something about how harshly my family treated me: I set a boundary with them in which I have not communicated with them for several months. Not talking to them for this period has granted me peace of God and this realization: that my convictions are very personal and are not only a reflection of who I am, but of the woman that God has called me to become for the rest of my life. “Favour is deceitful and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.”~Proverbs 31:30~

After setting the boundary in place, I decided to set two goals in my life: to get my Master’s degree in Global Studies from Liberty University and to lose weight By 2017. I made these two decisions myself without my family interfering because I chose to listen to the voice of God rather than trust human understanding. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thine ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”~Proverbs 3:5-6~

God has been sovereign, in this respect, in that He has directed my paths by ordering every step toward the future He has planned for me as a missionary to my family (who I hope will one day receive Jesus in their lives), Clarkston, and the world. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.”~Psalm 37:23~

Despite the pain and suffering that I have been through with my family, I am stand firm in the conviction that my life in Christ Jesus is the reason of why I am shaped into the woman of God that I am today. Death has no power over me because Jesus Christ already won with His precious blood covering my life in His resurrection and protection. “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”~1 Corinthians 15:55-57~

I now know, with all of the conviction in my heart, that as I continue to trust in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, that God’s plans for my future are great. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”~Jeremiah 29:11~

Thank you for reading this blog post. Be blessed and pray for me! 🙂

I have a lot of thoughts regarding the outcome of the election. However, I normally don’t talk about politics in my blog posts, but I will today since today is a turning point for some, a shock for others, and a devestation to many in American History. Please note that this blog post is from my own perspective, as a follower of Jesus Christ, and I choose to not take the Republican nor the Democrat side in this blog post since my allegiance is for Jesus Christ. 

During this time, everyone, including the Christians and the non Christians, need to come together in godly love. This includes the ones who have differing political views from another person. The purpose is so that all will realize, know, and feel the love of Jesus around them in order to point them to God. “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”~(1 John 3:18)~. 
If Christians do not show this love to non Christians, it will come across as hypocritical and fruitless if they only show love to Christians and those with the same political views from them. God is love and if this love is not shown to everyone around us in a way that is godly today, then our efforts as followers of Christ are useless. “If I speak in the tongues of men or angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.”~(1 Corinthians 13:1-3)~

Every one, the Christians, non Christians, Democrats, and Republicans, need to love one another as neighbours and not enemies and out of the same love that comes from Jesus Christ. “And Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”~(Matthew 22:37-39)~ 

The Lord knows and understands the sorrows that many in America feel today. He knows when even the politicians refuse to understand. “Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book? When I cry into thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me”~(Psalm 56:8-9)~

I pray that all of America will turn to God for comfort in the midst of its sadness it feels today. Only God alone can bring true comfort when politicians cannot do so. “In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.”~(Psalm 94:19)~ 

Thank you for reading this blog post. May the God of Comfort bring you tidings of great joy and blessings today. Moat importantly, may this joy bring you the strength needed to push forward as we enter 2017. 

“~…for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”~(Nehemiah 8:10)~

Grief: It’s a very painful feeling to experience.

Google defines grief as a multifaceted response to loss, particularly to the loss of someone or something that has died, to which a bond or affection was formed. Although conventionally focused on the emotional response to loss, it also has physical, cognitive, behavioral, social, and philosophical dimensions.

I currently experience grief as a result of the rejection experienced from both of my parents. With my dad having rejected  me due to me choosing to follow Jesus and my mom who battles mental illness (and has also rejected me due to her own mental health issues), one would think that I would have given up on people by now, including my friends. I currently struggle with depression and a sleep disorder called akathisia as a result of everything I’ve been through with both of my parents. Akathisia has many symptoms, including anxiety and insomnia, which I do not talk about a lot. Writing about it in this blog post is my first time talking and being open about it. 

I’ve realized that through this grieving period of my parents and my own issues, I cannot deal with them alone. God has blessed me with a few close friends, who I have told about all of my problems. “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”~Proverbs 18:24~

Despite my own problems I face, I know this: that I am an overcomer of all of my own issues and struggles by the power of God’s grace and not my own efforts. “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”~Romans 8:37~

I am not defined by my depression or sleep disorder because I am an adopted daughter of Christ. “For ye have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear: but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”~Romans 8:15~ 

This is because God wants us to be intentional with one another, particularly with those we can trust. I choose to place my trust in the Lord so that in this manner, I can trust my friends too. “Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him.”~Psalm 2:12~

God has taught me this truth: true friends not only listen, but they love you at all times, regardless of your own issues. “A friend loveth at all times.”~Proverbs 17:17~ 

Throughout this period, I have also taken necessary steps to mature in a spiritual, mental, physical, and  emotional sense. I have lost 6 lbs in just one week from eating healthy and exercising regularly. Even though I have not consulted my parents for my own wellbeing, I have turned to God and those He has placed in my life for help. This is because He alone is my portion. “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.”~Lamentations 3:22-24~ 

I may experience all of these feelings now, but I have absolute joy in the Lord. “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”~Psalm 30:5~

I finish this blog post with a final thought: Ask Jesus Christ for His strength to push through the hard times. My life verse has always helped me to realize this fact:”I can do all things through Christ which strengheneth me.”~Philippians 4:13~

God bless and thank you for reading this blog post! 🙂 

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Setting the communication boundary with my family was not an easy decision to make. 

I had to let go of family members, who I loved, but was not going to tolerate them controlling certain aspects of my life. This is because I can only grow spiritually when I let go of negative people and let God control my life as I serve Him wholeheartedly. “I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. “~Psalm 101:2~

Since I set the boundary, I have been able to grow in two ways: emotionally and spiritually. 

In terms of growing in these 2 senses, I have grown in that my study in the Word of God has allowed me to become stronger in my convictions during this period. I do not let others define me and know when to say, “yes,” and, “no,” with confidence. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power,  and of love,  and of a sound mind.”~2 Timothy 1:7~

I do not want to be known as the girl who liked the color pink or Hello Kitty.  I want to be known as a God-fearing lady in all who I encounter so that they (including my family) will see the light of Christ in me once the boundary period is over. “Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.”~Proverbs 31:30~

Turquoise is the new color of my soul. For me, it is representative of me maturing into the lady who God has called me to be. This is the new hope that I have in Christ. It is like an anchor that never moves and remains steadfast in my soul. “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil.”~Hebrews 6:19~

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I have guarded and continue to guard my heart during this boundary period from any demonic forces that Satan may attempt to tempt me with. This has only made me stronger in standing up for what is right, in the name of Jesus. “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”~Proverbs 4:23~

At the moment, my friends in Christ are interceeding for me on my behalf in prayer. May God bless them richly for being there for me. “For better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.”~Proverbs 27:10~ 

Keep me in prayer.  Thanks for reading! 🙂

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​Having begun my online classes with Liberty University two weeks ago, I have a lot to relect upon and be thankful for. 
Firstly, I have learned a lot about the Word of God these past couple of weeks in my studies. This has taught me to not just preach what I say, but to practically live out what the Word of God teaches. This is because I want to be an example of Christ to all who I meet.”Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.”~1 Corinthians 11:1~

Secondly, God is growing me to live out Christian doctrine through Him, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.  I do this out of faith, hope, and love for Christ and His Gospel. “And now abideth faith,  hope, charity,  these three, but the greatest of these is charity.”~1 Corinthians 13:13~

Thirdly, God’s desires for me are becoming one with me. As this is happening, my love for the Lord has grown so much that I desire to fulfill His purpose for me in this stage of my life.  “Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”~Psalm 37:4~

​During this period that I am taking classes for the Summer, the Lord has called me to seperate myself from my family for three months. This is so that I can focus on what matters the most: a relationship with God,  just as Mary did in the Bible. “But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part,  which shall not be taken away from her.”~Luke 10:42~
My prayer is that my family will become followers of Jesus Christ and put their trust in Him as I have, as their Savior and Lord. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”~Romans 10:9~

My other prayer for my family is that they will not only become followers of Jesus Christ, but that they will let the God of peace make an everlasting covenant with them so that God’s blessing may shower rain upon them to heal, in the name of Jesus. “Moreover I will make a covenant with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.”~Ezekiel 37:26~

Only the peace of God can surpass the good that is to come out of His ways. “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”~Philippians 4:7~

Pray for my family.  I will not give up on them because Christ Jesus never gave up on them. “For God so loved the world,  that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”~John 3:16~

Thank you everyone and God bless.

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Rejection.

We’ve all experienced rejection at some point in our lives.  Whether it be with friends,  family,  or someone who you thought you could trust, rejection is a sin that humans encounter throughout life. The spirit of rejection is real and severs the relationships that we once thought were near and dear before we thought we were accepted in this world. For me, it was with my family.

I have certain family members who condemn me for my faith in Jesus. Whenever I mention anything having to do with Jesus, they react out in meanness, rejecting my Jesus who lives inside of me and in turn rejecting me.  This causes me to feel alone even though I know this is not true. They continue to mock me just as Jesus was mocked and reject me just as Jesus was rejected. One of my family members even told me more than once, “I don’t have to love you.” These words may have put me down in the moment, but as a follower of Jesus Christ, I know that when the world hates me for my faith that only makes me stronger, giving me the strength to press forward and even handle rejection with love as Jesus did. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13).

I love my family with a love like Jesus’ love. It is a love that is so strong that I continue to pursue my family despite their ongoing rejection of me. It is what I, as a Christian, am called to do out of love. “The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee” (Jeremiah 31:3).

God’s compassion and mercy are infinite and I pray that all of my family will be open to experiencing it. “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. But though He cause grief, yet will He have compassion according to the multitude of His mercies” (Lamentations 3:22, 32).

When the world and its people reject you, Jesus will never reject you. He has always loved you and I know this to be true for myself because I experience God’s love everyday, even when my own flesh fights to reject it.  “My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:26).

I will not give up on my family because God never gave up on them. I will continue to pray and pursue them as God does, hoping that God will transform their hearts to accept and not reject Jesus one day. “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God,  God dwelleth in him, and he in God” (1 John 4:15).

It happened.

In December 2012, my ex boyfriend broke up with me. While it was a very sad time for me for 3 months,  the Lord made known to me that He had better plans for me than the plans that I had for myself.  “For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).

Even though the sadness I felt was a worldly sadness,  little did I know then that this breakup would be used to turn my life around for God’s glory. Thus began this new walk of my life in Christ. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

My brothers and sisters in Christ from college invited me to Campus Outreach ministry events and church each Sunday. Day by day, I began to change into the woman of God that the Lord was calling me to be. I abandoned my desire for a boyfriend and began to passionately pursue my love for Christ. This act required me to sacrifice desires of the flesh. God delivered me from my own selfish and sinful desires.  “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13).

After God’s divine act of deliverance in this stage of my life, I surrendered my life to Christ. This was truly a miracle because even though I knew what it meant to be a Christian as a child,  I did not know what it meant to actively live it out until my friends in Christ from college showed me that only Jesus saves. “Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:14).

My ex boyfriend was not my superhero and could not save me from myself in the same way that Jesus did with His birth, life, death on the cross,  and absolute victorious resurrection from the grave. Only Jesus saves. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

I hope that this lesson that I learned applies not just to myself,  but everyone who is reading this page of my blog. Only a relationship with Jesus Christ saves one from themselves and sin. If you are seeking a personal relationship with Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life, you have to admit that you are a sinner, believe that Jesus died for you on the cross and confess your sins to Him. After praying this prayer, you are a saved child of God by His loving grace. “For by grace are ye saved through faith,  and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

God showed me grace during this period of my life, even when I didn’t deserve it. This prayer that I prayed gave me full assurance that I am a child of God. “By grace are ye saved” (Ephesians 2:5).

Now, as a daughter of Christ, I don’t look back because there is no reason to. I am saved by Jesus’ grace and that in and of itself is enough for me. “Our heart is not turned back,  neither have our steps declined from thy way” (Psalm 44:18).

Today was a great first day at Camp David Vacation Bible School at First Baptist Church Atlanta.

Boys and girls ranging from 6th grade to 8th grade came to VBS, excited and full of energy for what the Lord was going to do through them today. “Fear not, O land: be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things” (Joel 2:21).

Since one of the main themes for this year’s VBS is the armor of God, the pastor delivered a great message in the Bible study on truth and how to live by it in a Christlike manner. He said that truth builds character, spiritual depth, and confidence. “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept my faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).

Before going into our small group discussions,  the pastor ended it by quoting a verse that left the middle schoolers awestruck since it applied to their lives. I could even say that this verse not only applied to them, but to the adults as well. “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).

In the small group discussion, I went over the points made by the pastor. I also described, in depth, what the pastor’s points meant with Biblical scripture and how it applied to their daily lives. I even prayed with the 6th grade girls and could feel the Lord moving in the room where we were in as I prayed with them. God was so good to us. “One thing have I desired of the Lord,  that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold of the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in His temple” (Psalm 27:4).

As me and the other volunteers said goodbye to the middleschoolers as they left VBS, I thought of the impact that the Lord through me had on these middle schoolers. It was amazing to see His mighty hand at work today while He used me for His Kingdom’s glory today. God was glorified today and will be for the next 4 days at Camp David! “And I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for the good of them, and of their children after them” (Jeremiah 32:39).

Bountifully blessed.

These are the spiritual convictions that describe my current status. This week, I will be teaching and leading for Camp David Vacation Bible School at First Baptist Atlanta. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised” (Luke 4:18).

I am beyond humbled and excited at the same time to have this opportunity just as I did in Lebanon to be a light for Jesus to the 6th grade girls around me. God is so good. “Let your speech be alway with grace,  seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man” (Colossians 4:6).

The main theme for this year’s VBS is the armor of God. Pray that I, the volunteers, and all of the children will put on the full armor of God and use it to fight off Satan’s lies and temptations. “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).

Pray that the light of Jesus will touch their lives in ways that I could not by my own work. “I am the light of the world: He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).

Also, pray that the 6th grade girls will be divinely inspired by the Living Word of Jesus so that they will search the scriptures for eternal life and that those who do not know Him will come to Him and accept Him as Savior and Lord of their lives. “Search the scriptures: for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39).

Thank you everyone for your continued support,  but most importantly,  thank the Lord for presenting me with this amazing opportunity! “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren because of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:13).

Before going to Lebanon,  God showed me another sign.

Through the clarity and discernment of my circle of sisters in Christ, He showed me to return to college to get my Master’s Degree.  “Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee” (1 Kings 3:12).

Before deciding on what college to attend, I prayed to God that what I desire to do in the next stage of my life will be a total reflection of God’s kingdom and not myself. That is because being all about myself instead of how the Lord could use me to further His kingdom instead would be selfish. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God,band His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).

After taking a moment to examine my heart’s intentions for God, I decided to apply to Liberty University,  which is a Christian college. I got accepted one week after I applied! God is so good in that He matched my heart’s desire with His desire to further His Kingdom! “Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart” (Psalm 37:4).

In this next walk of my life, I will glorify Him first as I read books, write papers, and do homework on my God, who I will passionately pursue, in all of my studies. “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Romans 8:6).